The Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets will battle it out for the seventh seed in a play-in game on Tuesday night in New York. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Cavaliers-Nets prediction and pick.

 

The Cavaliers ended the season going 3-7 over the final 10 games, with injuries playing a key role in their struggles. Now, the Cavs have a monstrous task ahead of them as they face the Nets. They still will likely not have the services of Jarrett Allen, who has missed a month with a fractured right finger. There is serious doubt about his availability to play as Allen continued to experience pain while warming up a few days ago. Thus, if the Cavaliers must play another game on Friday, there is a better chance of Allen playing that game instead. On the bright side, Evan Mobley is back and ready to assist the Cavs in any way he can. Still, the Cavs will miss Allen for his rebounding and unmistakable defensive prescience.

It has been an interesting season for the Nets. Kyrie Irving could not play for a sizable chunk of the season due to the vaccine mandate in New York City. Of course, Kevin Durant missed a chunk of games due to injury. Then, there was the trade of James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons. Now, the Nets will have Durant and Irving available, but Simons is still out. The chemistry is meshing with both stars, along with role players. Indeed, the Nets won four in a row to enter the play-in tournament.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Cavaliers-Nets odds.

NBA Odds: Cavaliers-Nets Odds

Cavaliers: +8.5 (-114)

Nets: -8.5 (-106)

Over: 229 (-110)

Under: 229 (-110)

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Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread

Evan Mobley is back. If the Cavs are to beat the Nets, they will need his all-around play. Additionally, the Cavs have Darius Garland. He is their leading scorer, averaging 21.8 points per game. However, he will need support. The vets on the bench will need to step up. Kevin Love and Rajon Rondo can fill this void. With Allen out, the Cavs will need someone to defend and grab rebounds. This is where Love comes in. In the finale against the Milwaukee Bucks, Love scored 32 points, including eight shots from beyond the arc. In addition to that, he grabbed 10 rebounds.

Rondo scored six points but also contributed 13 assists. Both are valuable commodities for their playoff experience. Hence, both must raise their game to stop Durant and Irving. Allen's injury left a gigantic void on defense. In this case, the Cavs must find reinforcements from all sides to stop the dynamic duo from destroying them. Also, the Cavs must hit their shots from beyond the arc. The Cavs played the Nets last week and suffered a 118-107 loss. In that game, they fell behind early by 15 but rallied to grab a third-quarter lead. Ultimately, the Nets pulled off the comeback and won the game. Cleveland must consistently hit shots and avoid cold spells.

The Cavaliers will cover the spread if Garland and Mobley convert their opportunities. Additionally, the Cavs must win the battle on the boards. Love must step up to his former form and contain Durant. Rondo needs to show his value off the bench and guide the Cavs.

Why The Nets Could Cover The Spread

Durant and Irving are magic together. These two realized how sensational they were together when they first joined forces. Harden messed with their chemistry, and the Nets rectified that. Now, Durant and Irving look to accomplish what they failed to do last season. With the Nets, it all starts by building a momentous lead and holding it. Of course, Durant put up 30.1 points per game this season and has been dominant when healthy. He produced 40 points and 16 assists in the finale against the Indiana Pacers. Irving provides a secondary scoring option capable of overtaking a game at any moment.

Bruce Brown provides another option for the Nets. He scored 20 points in the finale and looks to build the momentum in the playoffs. Andre Drummond has been a machine on the boards, averaging 10.2 rebounds per game.

The Nets will cover the spread if Durant and Irving go off, leading the pack and controlling the Cavs. Drummond must continue to pull down boards. Lastly, Brown getting hot could take some of the pressure off Durant and Irving.

Final Cavaliers-Nets Prediction & Pick

The game would be so much better if Allen were healthy. Unfortunately, that is not the case, and the Cavs must soldier on without him. The Nets have so much firepower and already defeated the Cavs by 11 one week ago. Hence, expect history to repeat itself, and the Nets to win and cover the spread.

Final Cavaliers-Nets Prediction & Pick: Nets -8.5 (-106)